The italicised (coloured or black) text represents the four different service models. This text can be modified or deleted in line with the guidance to create a service specification suitable for local needs. To help determine which level of service is most appropriate to your local need please read document 3, ‘Developing Models for Liaison Psychiatry Services – Guidance’.

We recommend that you consider the whole care pathway being designed and how it will be completed with the addition of a liaison psychiatry service.

To help decision with regard to choice of model of service the commissioner is recommended to identify:

Urban or rural setting

Emergency and unplanned care pathways in your local context

The presence and pattern of existing rudimentary services for mental health presentations serving Emergency Departments (ED) and the acute care hospital in and out of working hours

Number of beds in the hospital

That ED is present but limited or no out of hours demand

That ED is present with out of hours demand and adequate outflow care pathways

That ED is present with out of hours demand but gaps in supporting pathways

It is also important to consider the detail of surrounding service pathways specifically:

Local pattern, volume and timing of demand on ED and acute care hospital

Out of hours services other than mental health creating demand

Any need to serve community or virtual hospital wards that will take staff away from the ED site.

Considering these points in conjunction with reading document 3, ‘Developing Models for Liaison Psychiatry Services – Guidance’ should help commissioners select the optimum model for their local context.

This service specification is part of a suite of four related documents, each with increasing levels of detail: